Introduction to Graphic Design: Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign

Get started with three graphic design projects using some of the world’s most widely-used design tools: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Introduction

• Introduction to graphic design: Projects
• Course requirements
• About the course projects

1. Photoshop

• The Photoshop project
• Creating an artboard document
• Creating a guide layout
• Using wireframe elements
• Challenge: Build the wireframe
• Solution: Build the wireframe
• Populating the frames
• Choosing type
• Using type styles
• Challenge: Using type styles
• Solution: Using type styles
• Creating a color theme
• Using Layer Comps
• Creating alternate layouts
• Exporting assets

2. Illustrator

• The Illustrator project
• Preparatory steps
• Challenge: Choose fonts and colors
• Setting the main text
• Setting the footer text
• Creating an image frame
• Styling the image frame
• Using type on a path
• Challenge: Hierarchy
• Solution: Hierarchy
• Creating a background
• Finishing up

3. InDesign

• Project overview
• Document setup
• Setting margins
• Adding guides
• Challenge: Layout guides
• Solution: Layout guides
• Choosing and pairing fonts
• Challenge: Using in-app capture for colors
• Splitting images for the covers
• Creating tints for the cover flaps
• Adding image content
• Importing and organizing text
• Styling the title block
• Styling the cover quote
• Optical margin alignment
• Setting the back cover text
• Adding character style overrides
• Challenge: Set flap texts
• Solution: Set flap texts
• Creating the spine content
• Adding the publisher's assets
• Exporting assets
• Creating a print finish

Conclusion

• Next steps